Throne of Shadows pt2
by Phoenix Reaping
Summary: Sequel to Throne of Shadows, a medieval/fantasy story of a fallen king who seeks vengeance. Now, the King with his kingdom standing tall, faces a new threat and a new powerful stranger appears with his own army at his back. ReaperxOC ((Rated M for likely future chapters))
1. Intro

/ Photo Credit to Dian for letting me use her picture for this piece find more work here: deviantart.(nospacehere)com/ryu-x-miyu

Quick Chart for mentioned Characters and pronunciations of their names in the previous story, as characters are introduced, I will add the chart again for the following chapter. (as requested)

Azrail (God of Death) - As-rail

Riella - (Goddess of Life) Rye-El-Ah

Saana - (Goddess of Water) Sah-Ah-Na

Acarus - (God of the Sky) Ah-Car-Us

Ocarus - (God King/Father of Dragons) Oh-Car-Is)

NaMara - (Last Dragonkin) Nah-Mar-Ah

If you haven't read the previous story, I recommend you go back and read it. This is a sequel and may be confusing otherwise. If you have any questions/comments please reach out to me! Thank you again for all of the comments and favorites. /

Long before recorded history, four great kingdoms stood.

Then came along the Great War which lasted through the generations, until the Obsidian Kingdom fell with the death of its King. The Ivory King, victorious, stole away its people and lined his army with the men, made stock of the women and slaves of its children. Until a wish was whispered before the broken Obsidian throne by the last Dragonkin, NaMara. A prayer thought to have fallen upon deaf ears, for the return of the fallen King. A prayer that was heard, and answered.

The Obsidian King rose from the depths of the void and returned to life. He sought out the help of a hidden rogue, who aided him in bringing the Ivory King to his knees. With a the cost of NaMara's life, the Ivory King was slain and the Obsidian King fell into a deep sadness. For in NaMara, he found love, found hope, and it was striped from him as his kingdom once was.

Now, the Obsidian Kingdom stands tall, it's people celebrating their return home. They hold a special ceremony every year for the fall of the Ivory King and to honor those that have passed, to honor their ancestors. A single day when Azrail would open the gateway between worlds and allow those that have passed to cross over and be among their families. It became a day the Obsidian King dreaded, for he knew he failed her, knew he could've done something to save her and yet, he didn't. Resting the blame of her death on his shoulders, it weighed down upon him heavy.

The Great God Dragon, Ocarus, now within a human form, took over the Ivory throne, an assurance that no other wicked king would take the former's place.

As the years passed by, a peace lasted between the four great kingdoms, a peace that hadn't existed in four generations. It was celebrated, it was cherished. All hoped it would remain.


	2. The Obsidian King

Night was settling in, much of the festivities were dwindling down, but the center square was still filled with people drinking and celebrating. The Obsidian King had made his appearance, made his speech, and then retreated into the depths of the castle. Many knew why he hid himself, they knew of the weight he burdened himself with, knew that despite the passing years, it wasn't becoming any easier for him to carry.

He still wore the armor from that day seven years ago. Though his mask he wore only on this day every year. Otherwise, it remained clasped to his side, ready should a battle ever come. Atop his head, a obsidian crown, encrusted with beautiful ruby's, to show his position in the world, though he took no comfort in it. The world seemed much colder and darker than it had ever been, especially today.

With an extended sigh, he moved through the castle at a slow pace, not in any rush to get to his destination. He would move through the dark halls, into the gardens, but would pay no mind to the flowers in bloom. There, he would only pause for a brief moment to glance up towards the sky, his eyes falling upon the full moon and the memories would flood. Remembering the night they first met, remembered the twins and how they only grew more irritating as the seconds passed, remembered the smells of the cabin, the cooking rabbit, the fresh tea. He remembered her smile, as she sipped that freshly brewed cup of tea. In that second, the brief smile quickly flashed into the last smile he ever saw, holding her close as she whispered her final words.

Glancing back down towards the path, he took in a deep breath and continued onward. He would cross into the temple built at the foot of the resting mountain that circled his castle and down the dimly lit halls. The walls were lined with offerings to those that passed, flowers, candles, food, sweets, favorite trinkets, all in honor. Few people were at tiny alters, head bowed in prayer, some holding onto each other, some crying. He did not bother them, he kept on his path, he did not expect, nor did he want, them to stop and bow to him as he passed, so he remained silent. Gliding almost as a shadow down the halls to keep from making any sounds.

The halls then opened up into a cavern, much like the cavern they first found Azrail within. There, the great dragon lay resting, wings pulled tight against his body, tail wrapped up around him. Around him, tributes circled him, though the dragon seemed to not care. He laid exactly as he had when they discovered him and for a brief second, he saw her kneeling by his maw, head bowed in prayer. Knowing it only to be his mind playing tricks on him, he forced himself to blink and the image was gone.

Shadows faded off of the King and he stood tall before the dragon, watching him a moment. Purple and black orbs opened, adjusting to the light before looking towards the King. At a slow pace, Azrail lifted his head from the ground and turned towards the King. Slowly, the Kings hand clenched around the black scale in his hand.


	3. Tribute

"Good evening, Gabriel." Azrail spoke, his low thunderous voice booming against the mountain walls. "You've come much later than you usually do."

"I know." He responded softly looking away from the dragon and around the room. "I see you've been given a much bigger tribute than last year."

"Indeed." Azrail nodded glancing around the room as well. "Though lacking in nourishment this year. Very few sweets, it's rather upsetting." Had this been any other day, this would have made Gabriel chuckle, the thought of the God of Death savoring the sweets of this world was an amusing one. However, today he would get no chuckle. "The twins were very generous, as were their brothers and sisters."

"They generally are, I assured them you preferred treats and took it upon themselves to make them on their own."

He mused, " consider me warned." Turning his head, he looked back down at Gabriel. "Have you come to ask me the same question?"

"Should I?" He asked moving around the dragon towards the back of the cavern.

Shadow swirled around the dragon who took the size of a large horse and followed beside the King. "That is up for you to decide," he answered as they moved deeper into the cave. Gabriel did not respond, only continue walking until he stopped at a large shrine. It was a solid Obsidian structure built into the walls, four steps leading up to a large door which remained locked, on it had an engraving of her mask. Littered around the shrine were hundreds of various offerings, candles that were still lit. "There's more this year."

Still silence from the king as he refused to break his eyes from the shrine. His thoughts were swarming, all the memories and emotions were raising within him, fighting to break through, yet he refused. Azrail decided not to speak, he knew the King needed him time so he remained by his side, watching his stone face stare before him.

Then, Gabriel lowered his head and carefully moved around the offerings to the door. Carefully, he pressed his shoulder against the door and opened it just enough to slide inside. Dark flames were lit in here, giving him just enough light to guide himself inside. The room was barren all aside from the obsidian coffin laying against the back wall. Stopping halfway into the room, he found himself struggling to move forward, he debated his thoughts, thumb brushing against the scale in his hand.

Mounting the courage, he moved forward once more and carefully placed his hand on the coffin, between his hand and the stone, rest the scale she had once used to cover her eye. Like every year before, he struggled with his thoughts, struggled with what words to say, wondered if they were useless, that she'd never hear them. So he took to silence and stood still, keeping his eyes locked on the coffin.

An hour or so before dawn, Gabriel pulled his hand off of the coffin, taking the scale with it and bowed his head. Reaching under his robe, he pulled out a single red rose and rest it atop the coffin. "I'm sorry." Was all he whispered before leaving the shrine, closing the door behind him.

Azrail was still sitting there, waiting patiently for him to return, and when Gabriel looked over, Azrail bowed his head deeply. The two moved back through the cavern, over into their original positions, Azrail took back into his full form resting back down.

Gabriel moved to head back down the halls before he stopped and stood eerily still, once again fighting his swarming thoughts. Watching him closely, Azrail waited for him to speak before he dared break the silence.

Slowly, Gabriel turned to look over at Azrail and seemed to study him for a long moment. Then, he took in a deep breath and straightened, "is she well?" He asked softly.

"She's strong, she refuses to rest and instead is determined to continue punishing the Ivory King."

Finally Gabriel chuckled looking down, "That sounds like her." His thumb grazed over the scale before he asked, "did she cross over?"

Closing his eyes, Azrail let out a soft hum, focusing his energies. After a brief moment, his eyes opened and found Gabriel's once more. Gabriel watched as he opened his maw to speak, but a new energy brushing up against theirs quickly silenced him.

Hearing footsteps echo in the hallways, Gabriel turned to watch as a tall man, dressed in elegant white and gold robes moved towards them. Long white hair cascading down behind him, but a warming smile sketched its way onto his face.

"Ocarus? To what do we owe the pleasure?" Gabriel asked turning properly to face him.

"I had mean to arrive earlier, to join in the festivities but was unable. I apologize." Ocarus replied, bowing his head gently. "We have some business to discuss, but it can wait until tomorrow, I know better than to disturb you on this day."

"And yet here you are." Gabriel mused.

"Indeed, though I am here to speak with Azrail." To this Azrail rose his head slightly, confused. "I thought if I showed up early in the morning, there would be no one to spy in."

"Is it that concerning?" Azrail asked.

"Nothing the King needs to worry about today. We can reconvene and discuss in further detail later." Ocarus assured.

Nodding slightly Gabriel looking back over at Azrail, "I'll leave you two to it then." Shifting his weight, Gabriel turned and headed off down the halls. The two watched on as Gabriel shifted into shadows and disappeared all together.

"Is he well?" Ocarus asked softly.

"He still blames himself for her death." Azrail replied looking down at him. "Much to my arguing, he will not change his mind."

With a deep frown Ocarus shook his head, "only time can mend wounds, Azrail. This much you know as well."

"I do, brother." Azrail sighed sadly. "What news do you bring?"


	4. Round Table Discussion

The following day, Azrail, now the size of a house cat, Ocarus and Gabriel all sat at a round table. Though Gabriel held himself as a King should, the energy around him was a darkened one. Yesterdays emotions had not left him any peace.

Ocarus was the one to break the silence in the room, "I should apologize for showing up unannounced yesterday, I understand-"

"All is well," Gabriel cut off looking away, "what news did you bring?"

Ocarus and Azrail glanced at one another before looking back over. Clearing his throat, Ocarus continued, "As you are well aware, Dragons can sense one another and for the last seven years, the only living, awake, dragons have been myself and Azrail."

"But?" Gabriel asked looking over at them. Neither of them spoke for a moment, but seemed to be hesitant to say anything, "which dragon woke?"

"Riella." Azrail answered carefully. To this, Gabriel straightened. "NaMara crossed over three years ago, and refused to return back to the void. I didn't want to tell you, there was no danger behind it, she only chose to remain among the living. Likely to keep watch over you and the kingdom. I've continued feeling her presence, so I know she still exists watching over."

"But?" Gabriel repeated in almost a growl.

"A few years ago, I also began sensing another growing energy. I am now sure it is Riella, this was confirmed by Ocarus who also sensed the growing energy."

"That's good, isn't it?" The two silenced once more, now even more hesitant to speak, only carefully watching him, debating their next words very carefully. Slowly putting the pieces together, Gabriel grit his teeth closing his eyes, "If Riella is alive, then that means..."

"NaMara gave up her soul to give Riella life. Their souls are so closely intertwined, it is almost impossible to tell the two apart. So, it is likely that when she crossed over three years ago, she gave up herself so Riella could live again." Ocarus finished and watched as Gabriel's hand tightened into a fist on the table.

"Why hasn't Riella shown herself yet?"

"She needs time to strengthen and fully awaken before she can emerge from her resting place. Coming back from death is not an easy thing for a dragon such as herself. It takes time." Azrail responded and then, once again, the room feel into an eery silence. They gave Gabriel time to process the information.

"Why?"

Neither of the dragons knew how to answer the question, and seemed to be debating on how to properly answer such a question. But, as the time passed, Gabriel soon came to realize, none of them would truly know why, until they spoke to Riella herself. Doing his best to compose himself, Gabriel moved to a slow stand, "try and locate her. Let her be known she is welcome in this kingdom, should she so choose to enter." He let a brief smile grace his face for a short second while he said, "I would be honored to meet the Goddess who blessed me with NaMara." His smile was a genuine one, albeit sad. Bowing his head, the smile faded and he left the room.

The two dragons watched him leave the room and let out the breath they were holding. Though they were both silent, organizing their thoughts and what to do with this situation.


	5. Stand Firm

A long few months passed, winter taking a full hold of the land. Azrail and Ocarus spent much of their time attempting to track down and locate Riella. Proving to be a much more difficult task than previously assumed. The Goddess of Life had a touch of her in every living thing, she was everywhere and anywhere all at once, much more prominent now that she was living. The two dragons struggled in their task, but Gabriel never pressured them, never forcing them to hurry their search.

One quiet morning, Gabriel sat within his room, sitting on the edge of the bed. Still, after all the years that passed, he never once rest his head upon his pillow. He fought sleep, refused to let the memory of her last few minutes play out in his mind. He remained haunted by it even when awake. In-between his fingers, he ran his fingers along the edge of the scale, absent minded.

It wasn't until he felt a brush of energy against his being that he woke from his daze and looked around the room. He knew the energy well enough to have known it was Azrails energy, so he stood and crossed the room, looking out the window, down towards the temple.

" _Gabriel!_ " Azrails voice echoed deep in his mind. His tone was not of shock or discovery, this was of alert, of warning. Something was wrong. " _An army marches towards us._ " Finally his eyes looked upwards to find Azrail was flying high up in the sky, carefully making his way down towards the courtyard.

Turning on his heel, Gabriel was running from the room, alerting the nearby knights of the impending battle. Within seconds, the castle was alive, the army quickly falling into place and taking up arms, prepared for anything. Running out into the courtyard, he managed to make there, just as Azrail landed.

"What's going on?" Gabriel asked.

"I'm unsure. An army is marching from the west."

"The west?" He echoed and straightened, "why are the Elvish marching towards us?"

Azrail let out a soft growl, looking over as the army continued growing. "Call off your men, Gabriel. This is not their battle."

"What?" He gasped glaring daggers at the dragon.

"They're here for me. The Elvish have a hatred for my kind. They're coming for me, not you. I will handle this." Azrail spread his wings.

"You will not!" his voice boomed, near echoed in the courtyard. This caused Azrail to pause, only glancing back down at the King.

Gabriel stared back up at him, a stern face glaring up at the dragon, but his eyes held a passion he hadn't seen in years. "We owe this kingdom to you, we bow only to you, we fight for you. If you are threatened, we stand with you." The army let out a sudden roar of approval behind the king and Azrail looked over at the humans willing to fight with him.

Slowly, Azrail lowered his wings and bowed his head, "I am grateful, my King."

Moving closer to the dragon, Azrail lowered himself to the ground and allowed the king to climb onto his back. "Let's go see what the Elven King wants." He let out a sharp whistle and the army began moving from the kingdom, taking their full lines between the kingdom and the opposing army. Azrail flew high in the sky, circling over the Obsidian army, watching the treeline intensely.

As the Elven army crossed into the open, Azrail tucked a wing and came in for a quick landing at the head of his army. They stood firm and watched as their numbers only continued to grow.


	6. A New Foe

The Army of green came to a halt, their true number uncertain, for they still remained under the shade of the trees. An armored horse came marching from the center, with two just behind it and crossed towards the empty field between the two. Azrail moved forward to meet them halfway though kept his head low, in a threatening position.

"Ah, so finally we get to meet the fabled undead Obsidian king." The man on the middle horse mocked. "Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Durion, King of the Elven people. As my name suggests, I am the Defender of Men. You have brought an unholy presence in the world, I have come to see that both you and the dragon are buried."

"You have come to slay a God? A peaceful God who has do no harm to this world? You seek a war you cannot win and will have no one to back you."

"We do not need any army other than our own to back us, King Gabriel. We have slayed dragon countless times in the past and we will continue to slay them so long as they exist. It would be wise to dismount and allow us to put the Dragon to rest. If you do, we shall leave you and the kingdom alone."

"No." Gabriel said firmly and nothing else.

"Very well, then we will take down you and your kingdom along with it." Raising his sword into the air, the Elven army moved to attack. Just as he moved to swing the sword a sudden roar shook the ground they stood on. The Elven horses began to buck, unsettled by the sudden noise and it took the trio a moment to calm them down.

"That roar..." Azrail muttered softly turning just enough to look towards the skies.

In the sky a large dragon was circling above the armies, silhouetted by the sun. There was another sharp roar and the dragon dove towards the ground, landing with a thundering crash, kicking up mud and snow as it did.

Azrail shifted, turning to get a better look at the dragon as the mist of snow and dirt settled . He let out an audible hum, almost gasp as a jade dragon stood firm on all fours, just a shy smaller than him in size. Emerald eyes pierced towards the Elven army as she lowered her wings just enough to take a more threatening position.

Upon her back sat a figure dressed the dragonic armor, of the deepest shade of black. Two elongated horns arched back from the dragon skill helmet he wore, adorned with golden chains.

"Riella?" Azrail asked. Gabriel tensed staring at the dragon and person riding her, was this truly Riella?


	7. Battle for Obsidian Keep

Elven King: Durion - (Elven King ) Doo-Ree-On

Durion began laughing, patting his horse to keep it calm, "you think a second dragon will help you in anyway?"

However, no eyes turned towards them, eyes were still fixated upon Riella and the mystery rider upon her. Turning, Riella began moving towards the Elven king, snarling as she did.

"You tried to kill me once and failed. Take your army back home and let's find a truce." She hissed.

"Unlikely. I will see to it that all of your kind is killed. Your threats mean nothing, Goddess." Durion sneered. Looking over his shoulder, he gave just the slightest nod and the army roared, moving at a full sprint.

Jumping to his feet, the rider unsheathed two twin blades and jumped off, rushing towards the oncoming army. Behind them, Gabriel cursed and let out a sharp whistle, his army following suit, charged forward.

What came next was a clashing of metal, sharp rings of blades connecting ringed through the area in thunderous sound. Screams of fallen soldiers echoed against the trees, mighty roars of the dragons as they breathed fire from the sky. The battle looked to be in the favor of the Shadow Kingdom, they had two dragons and the Elven army had none, nor any weapons to help defeat the dragons.

This rose a form of curiosity in the pit of Gabriel's stomach as he swung his bald to block an incoming attack. Why had Riella showed up now, where was she hiding, who was this rider on her back? Was he another Dragonkin? Why was the Elven army fighting with no weapons to kill dragons?

Then it hit him, the army was not fighting to win this battle, they were testing his strength, testing his army. Testing Azrail. Now, not only did they know Azrail and all of the Kingdoms army would stand to fight, but another dragon had made its appearance. Was this only a test?

He spun again, shadows consumed his blades, finding them deep within the chest of another. Kicking off the body he spun only to find the Elven King now stood before him, smiling. This was not a smile of victory, this was not a smile having found his opponent. This was a smile of satisfaction, of knowing, even though the battle was against him, everything was going according to plan. This sent a wave of uneasiness through the Shadow King as he stared down his opponent. What was the true goal of the battle today?

The ground shook at his feet as Azrail landed before him, screeching a roar that caused most of the army to shudder, cover their ears and wait for it to end. Just as Azrail had finished, his tail whipped about, slamming directly into the Elven King, sending him soaring through the air.

Near immediately followed a scream from a nearby soldier, "the Elven King has fallen, retreat!" and the army was now running full force towards the trees. Gabriel turned, watching as they ran, as some of his own soldiers picked off stragglers, but he made no more motion. Nothing made sense and his mind was flying trying to figure everything out.

A sudden shadow filled his vision, this was no Azrail, this was not himself. He felt a tight grip around his waist and his feet came off the ground. When he next blinked, he glanced down to find his kingdom rapidly shrinking beneath him, he was in the air. His hands made it to whatever grabbed his waist, jade claws. Riella? Looking up he saw Riella gripping him tight, flying off towards the south, the rider upon her back.

"Azrail…" He muttered and looked down to see the black dragon in pursuit, flying as fast as he could in their direction. Then came a quick sharp pain, he glanced down to see there was an arrow jammed in tight between gaps in his armor. Pulling it out, he dropped the blade then glanced up to find Riella was now glancing down at him.

"Sleep, Shadow King, "she whispered and a dizziness swarmed his mind, his vision blurred and he was soon, unconscious.


	8. Friend or Foe: The Dragon King

It was sounds that first came to him, the soft crackling of a nearby fire, crickets chirping in a close bush, a gentle breeze brushing through trees, then came the rumbled of beating wings, of large creatures landing upon the ground. The warmth of the fire by his side seemed to cradle him, but it did not ease off his stress. He took in a sharp breath then winced, his chest felt tight, and finally he opened his eyes to glance over. All of his armor had been removed and covering his chest rest the fur of a large animal, presumably a bear, one he removed to find his chest was covered in bandages, wrapped tight. The arrow...he remembered it now, remembered the battle, remembered Riella grabbing him, Azrail in pursuit.

Grumbling, he placed his feet on the ground and glanced around, he was in a large tent, various weapons laid casually around, his armor nearby on a table. So, he wasn't a prisoner, that was good. Not that he ever assumed Riella would take him prisoner, not after everything, but he didn't know what to think of this Rider. Slowly, he moved to a stand and headed towards the exit of the tent, where he pulled back the cloth to find a large fire nearby, Riella and Azrail lying close to one another and the rider between them.

He noticed then it was dawn, the sun began it's slow rise over the horizon and began to illuminate the pair dragons. Azrail lifted his head and looked upon Gabriel, letting off a low hum, "My king." He said. "You're awake." Both Riella and the Rider turned to look at Gabriel as he pushed through and moved to stand the nearby fire.

""You." Gabriel hissed, glaring daggers at the Rider, "what is the meaning of this capture?"

"He has no voice," Riella said lightly, "It was taken from him. So I am his voice."

"Then explain to me why you've brought me here."

"We had plans on coming to your kingdom, to ally your kingdom, with ours. When we noticed you were wounded, so we took you here to heal your wound." She replied, "we meant to harm and will return you back to your kingdom by midday."

"What kingdom do you hold allegiance to? All kingdoms are already allied." He said, confusion setting in again."

Riella chuckled softly and moved to stand, the Rider doing the same. "Come with us, there's something we want to show you." Both of the dragons, the Rider and Gabriel walked down a large path coming closer to a ridge line, something began to boil in the Kings gut, he was curious as to what was being shown to him. As they made it to the edge of the cliffside, only darkness sat below them in the large valley, though as he peered closer into the darkness he could see the slightest movements.

The sun broke over the horizon and slowly illuminated the valley before them. Slowly, Gabriel's jaw dropped, his eyes widening. He couldn't believe what he saw before him, hundreds of dragons in all sizes, from babies to ancients, lay out in the valley, slowly awakening with the sun.

"NaMara came to see me, she woke me from my slumber and begged for me to help her awaken the dragons." Riella started softly. "To brings the Gods back to life so that we could protect you, protect the kingdom." Gabriel couldn't break his eyes from the scene below him, but wanted to look over at her. "She asked me to make sure I would see this come to life." Riella turned just enough to look down at the King. "She asked me to tell you this, She loves you dearly and wish she could've stayed by your side longer. She wishes that you would rest your mind, she does not blame you for what had happened."

"She should."

"But she doesn't, within her right, you were not the reason for what happened that day." Riella cooed warmly pressing her snout against Gabriel, finally breaking his attention away. "She's watched you over day, she's always by your side. She's' sorry she had to do what she did, give up her soul for me, but it was the only way to see that Dragons were once again awakened."

Gabriel chuckled softly, "That sounds like her…." Then let out a sad sigh, "is she…?" He stopped himself unsure if he really wanted an answer to that question.

"She cannot be at peace until you forgive yourself for that day," Riella replied. "It was not your fault, her soul is my soul, together we exist. But it cannot find peace, find rest, until you've done at least that much."

"How can I forgive myself for what happened?"

"But learning that it was not your fault." Azrail replied, Gabriel turned to look at Azrail but instead found the Rider by his side.

"And what of this man?"

"None of this would've been possible without him. He is another dragonkin who has helped me awaken the many you see before you." Riella purred, "he is our king of this Dragon kingdom."

"The Dragon King." Gabriel muttered in distaste, "Does he have a name?"

"The Dragon King will do." Riella answered, "he shed his name years ago, and would rather not be called by it."

"Very well, How will this alliance work if the King has no voice?"

"We share thoughts, I will be his voice when needed."

Gabriel's face twisted, he didn't necessarily like, or trust this king, but for Riella, for NaMara, he would. With a bow of his head, he looked over at Riella, "let us head back to my kingdom, and send word for Ocarus, if war is approaching we need to be ready." Turning on his heel, he headed for the tent to collect his armor. Once accomplished in setting everything back in place, he climbed atop Azrails back. With Riella and the Dragon King leading the way, headed back to the Obsidian Kingdom.


End file.
